Abrahamson, Todorov's Theory Homework

Narrative Theory: Todorov’s Model of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium

Home work task: LO To develop understanding of Todorov’s Theory by applying to a Tv Drama

Watch a whole episode of a TV drama and make notes re: its narrative structure in the table below. Use BBC iplayer if you have to. Try to avoid soaps as they have many narrative strands which can be complicated to analyse.

TV Drama title: Waterloo road

Genre of TV drama: Drama

Date: 5th September 2013

Stage of narrative	Basic details of this stage in episode	How does this stage contribute to the episode overall? Why is it effective?
1)      An initial state of equilibrium (usually calm and settled) at the onset of the narrative.	start of the school day all the students and teachers are walking around smiling greeting each other because its the start of the new school term.	gives the program and episode a starting point and sets up the story line for that episode.
2)      A disruption of the equilibrium by some action (something happens)	Audrey is concerned when the new students look terrible and look like they do not get looked after at home by there guardian.	this part sets up the story even more and gives an insight into what might happen later on in the episode or the series.
3)      Recognition that there has been a disruption of the initial state (usually noticed by characters)	Audrey goes to the students house to find there guardian is a drug dealer, he comes home and stops her from leaving. Audrey escapes and flees back to the school	gives a sense of danger to the audience and gives an effect of emotion for Audrey and the students.
4)      An attempt to repair the disruption (by characters)	Audrey calls the police and tells them about the drug dealer, the police turn up at the school and take him away leaving the kids with no guardian now.	resolves the story in this episode and fills in the bits the audience didn't quite know about.
5)      A reinstatement of the equilibrium (everything may go back to ‘normal’, restoration of  balance)	School day finishes and everyone leaves the school the way they came in.	this shows the ending of the episode and gives the effect of that this is what happens in this school

Did this episode break any of Torodov’s rules? If so, why?: 

The episode seems to follow the Tordov theory well with all the stages.

opening scenes analysis

Luther: The music used in the Luther opening scene is very mysterious and cunning i say this because the music has a slow tempo to it as well as the voice over talking and not really singing. The music seems quite seductive in a way as its calming and relaxing, showing that the character of Luther could be seen as an attractive character. Many images are used in the background but main ones are the urban areas of London and the landscape showing that the program is set in London. Also the character of Luther in the opening is a silhouette colored in black contrasting with the red background, this to me shows not he is mysterious as well as dangerous. The images portray the program to be about crime and investigation and the genre to be crime and thriller. The target audience of this program I think would be young adults up to adults so between the ages of 20-60. This is because the program is quite chilling and not for young ages.

Mad Men: The music in this opening starts of very formal and carries on very formal till the end but half way a beat is added to the formal music to make it sound more modern. The music portrays this program to be about formal people most likely rich people working in a job together. The colour scheme in the background is very bland and dull with colours like grey white and black again showing formality. Other images such as woman and parts of woman on the side of buildings as the man is falling show it is set in America also with the tall skyscrapers as well. The images on the side of the buildings show the American dream for a man of money and woman that do all the work. The target audience for this program is hard to tell from the opening sequence. Its most likely going to be based for adults and older people rather than younger people.

Coronation Street: The music used in Coronation Street is not everybody’s taste in music by this I mean that the music is very old not modern music; this is because they are trying to portray England and Brittan the way it used to be. The music is very slow with little tempo which again shows the old Brittan. The images used are some of the scenes and sets in the soap opera to set a feeling of what the program is about. Also the classic rooftop image. The colour schemes used with these images are quite bright colours they might do this to brighten up the series. The target audience of this program would be families in general because it’s on at a time where everyone can watch it and the genres are quite basic meaning that its not offensive for anyone who watches the program.

Spooks Series 9: The music used in spooks is very upbeat and techno. This music fits in with the opening sequence because of the spy genre. Also because the music is upbeat it allows the audience to feel a sense of danger and intensity as well as a feeling of being rushed. There are many images in this opening scene that gives away clues about where the program is set and what the program is about. Such as maps of Brittan and Europe showing it could be set here also there are many images with gadgets in them as well as people rushing about showing this program could be about crime in general. Also could be about spies and investigation. The program is based for investigation and spies lovers also adults again because it has scenes that adults would not find boring easily, young people such as teenagers could get bored with this program.

Abrahamson Homework Tony Stonem and Camera Angles

Tony Stonem Analysis

When we first meet Tony he seems to be a normal teenager, we think this because of the colour scheme in his bedroom is bland and boring also dull which portrays that he is a very neutral character, It seems he has some interests a normal teenager has at the age of 16-17 I know this because of the bed spread he has which is a naked man and woman on a bed showing he has interests of that nature. Once he gets out of bed he does some exercises like sit ups and push ups showing he cares for his body and wants to look the best as later on in the scene he looks at himself in the mirror. He plays practical jokes on his dad for fun to amuse him self. He seems to big a good big brother to his little sister effy by helping her sneak into the house after she had been out all nigh. Overall Tony is portrayed as a normal teenager in this first scene of Skins series 1

Camera Angles



High angle shot
This camera angle is usually when the angle of the camera is above the shot and to an angle to get the most of a scene or shot. It looks down on the subject or scene making it look small.



Low angle shot
This type of shot is based below a subject or scene looking up at the object, this is normally used to make the object look big in a small space like the Eiffel tower for example



Point of view shot
This shot also known as the POV shot is a shot biased right on a subject, this shot represents the subject its looking at making it look the most important subject in the shot.



Close up
a close up shot helps the audience see the facial expressions on the person the camera is close up on so the audience can get a feel of the facial expression.



Extreme close up
An extreme close up is a shot further in than a close up so it fills the whole screen of the camera so it helps focus on one particular subject



Long Shot
a long shot is where a whole area is put into a camera or film shot not just a few objects, this is normally used to get a feeling of the scenery around the area.



Mid Shot
a camera shot taken from a medium distance so the body and head of a person or object can be seen this normally used to see what the person in the shot is wearing.



Over the shoulder shot
this shot is normally taken over a persons shoulder looking at someone else, this is used for a conversation in a film scene.

The Big Six

Major Film Studios

A major film studio is a film producer and production company that releases a substantial number of films annually.

The Big Six film studios are:

1. Warner Bros. Pictures. Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

3. Walt Disney. One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

4. Columbia Pictures. Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

5. Universal Studios. 12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

6. 20th Century Fox. Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox," this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.

Roughly 9/10 films in the UK are seen as a result of these distributers

Task

In pairs research a major film studio and compose a Prezi with your findings.

 Your presentation should include information on:

•  the studio's history        
• their subsidiary companies and evaluate their importance to the studio  
•  detailed research on  the studio's greatest successes i.e. films that have broken records, franchise(e.g.: Pirates Of The Caribbean, breakthroughs in technology etc

Four Quadrant Picture

A Four Quadrant Picture is a marketing term used to describe a film targeted to all audience quadrants: men over 25, men under 25, women over 25, women under 25.

Usage
In the movie business, and it is most definitely a business, everyone is looking to maximize the audience for their picture. A four-quadrant picture is that magical type of film that attracts parents and kids, men and women, and brings in huge amounts of revenue on opening weekend. In the term “four-quadrant,” the quadrants refer to gender (male and female) and age (under 25 and over 25).
For most studios, the goal is to get enough details to line up so that they have broad-based, family-friendly appeal in designing a blockbuster or four-quadrant film. An important aspect of getting that appeal is the ratings system. An 18 Rating can be the kiss of death for a studio trying to market a film featuring pre-teen characters. A lowering from PG-13 to PG can mean millions more in revenue as parents feel more comfortable bringing young children to a given film like Evan Almighty.

Examples
One of the most famous four-quadrant, blockbuster films is Star Wars and all of its sequels. Jaws is another landmark blockbuster film. Other more current examples include Night at the Museum, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Shrek (1-3), Spiderman (1-3), Pirates of the Caribbean (1-3), andWall-E.

Implications
Another interesting by-product of the rise of four-quadrant films in the industry is cross marketing. Those films often are associated with toys and other products that both advertise the film and bring in revenue on their own. In addition, four-quadrant films are powerful vehicles for product placement advertisers looking to show their wares to the largest audience possible.
On the down side, many wonder how much effort is placed on credible, engaging story lines as opposed to marketing opportunities in these behemoth cinematic endeavors.

Film Production



stage 1: The idea

In this stage inspiration is needed to create a good film that will do go in the box office, inspiration is all around us in films, books, plays even casual conversations. Inspiration can come from a couple of words on paper which are developed into a film or story. After the idea is though of and developed its then given to a Producer to make the film a reality and not a idea anymore. Producers are always looking for good ideas to create into films and make money from. Then the Director comes into the scene making the script into a reality, Directors know how to take films and put them on to the cinema screen. A big film always includes a Director sooner or later to manage the script. Then next in stage 1 the writer gets involved in the idea and clarifies the idea and makes sure all the characters and the plot of the story are going to be a good idea. The writer will then write up a treatment or prototype of the main story and the characters of the film. The treatment is a description of the key events and people in the film. Then the final part in stage one is the pitch this is where all the information is presented to the producer so they can sell the idea to the financiers to commission a script.

Stage 2: Development Finance

The first part of stage 2 is the pitch by the producer to pursuade financiers to give them money to budge the film and develop the script. Then the Producer approches the film production companies for money but sometimes they will say no because they have projects of their own. The producer can bargin with people such as the broadcasters, sales companies and the distribution companies to gain money to develop the script. A producer can also apply for a public funding body such as the UK Film council for development grant. or the Producers can pitch their idea and script to a private investor in hope they will fund the project. The Producer will have to come to a deal with the writer of the script through the writers agent and a development deal.

Stage 3: Script Development

First The Producer gets a synopsis from the writer and the writer and Producer agrres on the key scenes and events in the film to make the film as exciting as it can be. Then it goes to the final draft which is basiclly the real script almost finished. Part of the fee for the writer is made from the delievery of the first draft which can be the hardest part of screen writing. Then when the Producer is happy with the writter the draft is sent to the financiers. These people will have there own ideas. When all the people involved with the script and film is happy then the script is locked off and becomes the final draft this means now the writer gets paid. Finally the last part of script development is the processt where the creation of a sales treatment is reached, a sales treatment is a synopsis designed to sell the film to potential financiers.

Stage 4:

Firstly the Director and Producer must now package the script up into a full proposition. Ready for financing. Then adding well known starts to the script and film is a way to mmake the project more comercial. Then now its time to turn the film into a proper business proposition. The Producer must know how much it will actually cost to fund and make the project. Then its the finance plan and recoupment schedule sage where the potential investors will want to know how the producer plans to raise money. And how she plans to pay them back. Finally in stage 4 the Producer has packages the film into a comercial propostition.

Stage 5:

Firstly the Producer needs to travel to find investment for the project and the film that she is working on becoming a reality because investors can be anywhere. Anyone can invest in films such as public bodies, production companies or private idividuals, the [roducers lawyer draws up contracts to seal these deals. The Producer can sell rights to the film before its even been made this is called pre-sales to rais money. The producer can also get loans for the banks specialised in film finance. But most financiers try to make sure that a completion bond is in place before they agree to invest to secure there insure for the production. Finbally when all the funding is finished and investment is finised then the producer gets the green light to make the film.

Stage 6:

 Now its time for the pre-production and firstly all the heads of the department are hired. The shooting script is circulated and pre-produced. Now the casting director with the Director and Producer begin picking the cast and characters to fit their postition. Then the storyboarding takes place where blue prints are made for the film this is where every shot is planned in advance. Then the special effects are planned in much more detail than normal shots, these can takes months to design and build. Finally of stage 6 the key logistics triangle of the production is made by the Producer and the Production manager. 

Stage 7:

This is a key feture now in the film production because shooting begins and the film starts to come together. The funding is released and the producer is now free to shoot. The camera depertment is responsible for getting all the footage needed for the film makers. Then once the make up has been done and the set is ready the shooting can begin. Now the actors must create an emotional world and draw the audience into it. Then every special effect is carefully constructed to minimise the risk off injury to cast and crew members. The film is run to a tight schedule so if they fall be hind the insures may have to step in.

Stage 8:

Scene 8 is the post production stage where footage comes in and the editior assembles creative narative sequence and makes the scenes come together. After the footage has been put into scenes the sound department works on the audio track for the project editing every piece of sound. Specialist effect composers add special effects on to the film. After the picture is locked its sent through to the mixing room where the final sound mixer sets the final levels, after the film is fully locked out it is ready to duplicate.

Stage 9:

Now to sell the film  distributors the producer secures the services of a sales agent. Now a trailer is made to help sell the film. Next they talk to the market to attract attention, then screenings take place at festivals to generate liking to the film. The producer now has a hot product and a film and is ready to be screened and viewed around the world.

Stage 10:

Now the producer gets a sales agent to help sell the film to the public, then knowing the audiance is essential they run tests to see how the film is recieved. The film is then placed in news papers and media coverage to get peoples attention. Then it is placed online so more people can see it. Then the premier is held for people to come and see what the film is about in more detail and get a better insight into the films production.

Stage 11:

The film is then placed in UK cinemas for the public to see and rate on what the film is like, the UK has more that 3500 cinema screens, if a film does good with sales it might get a mention with the box office which specialises in knowing if a film is a blockbuster or not. Once the distributors have been paid the investments are paied out to the investes into the project.

Stage 12:

the film is then produced onto DVD and Video for the public to buy then later on into the year the film may premier on to tele with its first broadcast, it could be made into a video game for more sales and profit. Then the end of the project.

5X5

5X5



Top 5 rap and hiphop songs of all time

5. 2pac ft Elton John: Ghetto Gospal

4. JayZ: 99 problems

3. 50cent: In The Club

2. Kanye west: Runaway

1. Eminem: Beautiful

All of these songs have a story behind them and that is what this genre of music is about and that is why I listen to it oftern rather that chart music at this moment in time. Also this genre was played quite allot when i was younger so i have grown up listen to it.

Top 5 American comedy series

5. Rules of Engagement

4. My wife and kids

3. Fresh Prince of Bel air

2. Scrubs

1. Big Bang Theory

These American comedy TV series have now been added to the UK TV channels and with everyone loving comedy now and again these programs have come to the UK at the right time. Big Bang Theory is at the top of my list because it is not a normal comedy series but a totally new idea about geeks having normal life situations put upon them.

Top 5 Comic book heroes

5. Thor

4. Captain America

3. Spiderman

2. Superman

1. Batman

Everyone loves a good comic book hero and these are my top 5 because they are iconic and everyone around the world knows them from all of media like, Television, Films and Comic books.

 Top 5 comedy films of 2012

5. The Dictator

4. The Watch

3. Ted

2. American Reunion

1. 21 Jump Street

Top 5 Magazines of 2012

5. Closer

4. Now

3. Vogue

2. Glamour

1. Ok

these magazines give an insite into peoples lives through 'gossip', these magazines were the most brought in 2012 for the stories they have in them.

Starter Work: The Conjuring

 

What made me what to go and watch this film?:

The fact the genre of this film is horror/ thriller it was a must see for me because I am into that kind of genre and films which give you a scare. The reason I wanted to watch this film so much because i like them kind of films with a story line full of features which are designed to scare you.

Did you like or dislike the film?:

I liked this film very much because again it has a genre witch I am very interested in which is horror and thriller. I liked this film because it has that sense of scariness in which people look for when going to watch a horror film. Another reason I liked this film so much was because of the simple use of props to make a realistic film for people to enjoy.

What factors impacted on your enjoyment or lack of enjoyment?:

There were a few factors which made this film enjoyable for me. The first factor was the fact that you never knew when something was going to pop out and scream at you making you jump every time. Another factor was that they kept the setting simple with the idea simple as well so it was not hard to follow the story line of the film and did not get too confusing.